Dramatic Increase in Home Births

According to a new report from the Associated Press, more women are choosing to give birth at home. The CDC released the results from a new study that found home births have increased by 20 percent between 2004 and 2008 in the U.S.

The reasons why women decide to have a home birth vary, but there is one consistent theme among home birthers - they want to be in control of their birth experience. Home birth moms want to be free of drugs, monitoring, and IVs. They want to have time to give birth at their baby’s pace, in positions that feel comfortable and natural to them, without the pressure of following hospital protocol, and in the comfort of their own home.

Dr. Joel Evans, a board-certified OB-GYN who supports home birth told the Associated Press, "Women are now looking for alternatives where they can be treated as individuals, as opposed to being forced to comply with protocols, which however well meaning, have the impact of both medicalizing childbirth and increasing stress and anxiety around delivery."